In 2007, IDFA (the world’s largest documentary film festival held annually in Amsterdam) invited me to create five mash-ups of two documentary films during the festival. Every day another mash-up of two different documentary films. At the end of each day the mash-ups were discussed on IDFA TV.
Making the compositions
The mash-up videos were made in one day. In the morning I would discuss the documentaries with the makers and gather ideas for the mash-ups. Then I worked on the mash-up in my studio and presented the final result in the evening in the IDFA TV studio. The documentaries were selected by IDFA and were related to each other in some way. I used bits and pieces of both documentaries to construct an original audio-visual composition. For this I used Logic Audio (music production software) and my SenS IV software.
The compositions
On the first day I created a mash-up of ‘Houses of Hristina‘ (about an illegal house cleaner) and ‘Was Weiß der Tropfen Davon‘ (about the Reichstag building in Berlin). I created a seemingly infinite virtual space that seems to grow and time is looping. It turns the never ending cycle of cleaning routines into art.
On the second day I created a mash-up of ‘Beppie‘ (about a tough, young folk girl in 1958) and ‘Hoe Nikita een paard kreeg‘ (about a modern girl who gets bullied). I created an artistic choreography of samples from both girls that shows their similarities.
On the third day I created a mash-up of ‘Metalosis Maligna‘ (about a disease that affects patients with medical implants) and ‘Mechanical Love‘ (about the interrelationship between robots and humans). I combined the two documentaries to transform two old ladies, that love their robot pets, into cyborgs.
On the forth day I created a mash-up of ‘Wings of Defeat‘ (about surviving kamikaze pilots) and ‘Thanatorama‘ (about the mysteries of the funeral world). I created a rhythmic composition centered around the moment when somebody dies. The rhythms jump between life and death. The time before and after this moment is continuous, but completely different. One moment alive, then without life. Alive | Dead.
On the fifth day I created a mash-up of ‘Football, Iranian style‘ (about soccer in Iran) and ‘Girls in guyville‘ (about a women’s soccer team). I created a cool skrtZz track that fits the raw image of soccer.
Technology
This project is produced with my audio-visual instrument SenS IV. To fund the development of SenS IV (and now EboSuite) I produce interactive audio-visual projects and shows with EboStudio. Very talented, experienced and skilled technicians and designers. I am very fortunate that I can work with them. And you can too. Need help for an audio-visual project or concept? Don’t hesitate to contact us.
